You are here

CoE answers, Nation Olympics results, Badrol eats from dumpsters?



 _________________________
/ Issue 130 - September 2008 \________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   Heroes Interviews                 - Israfel          02 to CRY05
   Roleplaying with Fire             - Alessio          06 to CRY09
   Realms of Despair 101             - Juliana          10 to CRY17
   Ask CoE Responses                                    18

   Guild News
     Guild of Clerics                - Indira           19 to CRY21

   Nation News
     Quendi                          - Annale           22
     Uruk'hai                        - Klaatu           23
     Elohai                          - Stela            24 to CRY25

   TS News                           - Akael            26

   Quest News
     August CoD Quest Results        - Linda            27
     September CoD Quest             - Linda            28

   Fun and Games
     Funnies                         - Romani           29
     Room of the Month               - Myrr             30

   Announcements and Advertisements
     WANTED - Badrol                 - Mack             31
     Cry of Despair                                     32
     Ask COE                                            33
     Wanted - DEAD                                      34

   A Note from Linda                                    35
   From Falennt's Inkwell                               36
                                                                      Page: 001
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/


****************************************************************************************
2

 __________________________________
/ Heroes Interviews - Israfel             \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Assets and dedicated players of the Realms of Despair, this is what
we know a Hero of the Realms be. To some, they may seem to be a 
far-away achievement, something lofty and grand but yet our Heroes
all emerged from humble beginnings, each with a story to tell, and
that through their trials and tribulations in these Lands, they
attained great achievements and became the ideals for their fellows
to stand up to. We at the Cry now present to you readers, a special
interview of the Realms 2008 Heroes : Tinildur, Foxarius and Korith.
 
About the Heroes 
 
Tinildur is in Clan Catarrh right now and aptly noted by a good
friend to be a lazy meatloaf (hm!). He's attempting to work in
all the scheduled quests, chat, pk and do the occasional run
whenever he can.
 
Foxarius is currently the Leader of the Order of Ascendere. She is 
described to be kind, helpful and patient, funny wise and smart, 
and capable, awesome and fabulous, by a notable mud personality, 
without the spaces.
 
Korith is the Number One of Ascendere and noted to be one of the
most helpful Newbie Councillor anyone has met. It may take a 
while to absorb his unique brand of humour but it would make you laugh

(Cont)                                                                Page: 02 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

2
*****************************************************************************************
3

 __________________________________
/ Heroes Interviews - Israfel             \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

1) How did you start playing Realms, and when did you start?

Tinildur : I started playing Realms in the summer of 1998. I kind of 
stumbled upon the game; my friend and I were trying to find the coolest 
RPG in the world and he had heard of something called "Muds". Topmudsites 
suggested Realms and I've been hooked ever since.

Foxarius : A friend of mine known in the game as Horadrim introduced me 
to Realms originally. He quit pretty soon after doing so and his characters 
are long gone, but in that span of time the game grew on me and I've been 
here since. This was not very long before the Shattering, so I guess it 
would be a little over 6 years now.

Korith : Started playing realms in late 1996, while in the computer lab at
university and a friend showed me this game.

2) What were some of the most memorable moments during your time here?

Tinildur : The "shakes" I used to get from deadly pkill :P  Getting an 
aff_truesight helm looted by an IMM (Mumra) is pretty memorable too.

Foxarius : There have been many events over the years that have and 
probably will stay with me for many years. There are always the big events 
in one's mudlife that they won't forget like first avatar, joining a new 
organisation and, of course, figuring something new out on your own, 
nothing quite like it. But I guess what really sticks in the long run 
are the amusing incidents: wiping your whole group by accident may cost 
you an hour CRing, but it will be funny for years afterwards and that's 
priceless. Sometimes it's just a line someone says and it makes my day. 
Right now I'm in a great place where I make new memorable moments like 
these every day, that's what makes the game what it is for me.

Korith : Memorable moments are hard to name, how do I compress 10+ years of
time wasted umm played in this game into a few memorable moments? I suppose
the memorable moments would have to be meeting and making new friends here.
Joining Newbie council, joining Ascendere, and becoming an org leader again.
Other memorable moments probably have to include killing various mobs around
realms, or obtaining some rare piece of equip. As well as seeing the game
change over all these years.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 03 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

3
*****************************************************************************************
4

 __________________________________
/ Heroes Interviews - Israfel             \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

3) What is your favourite piece of equipment, armour or weapon?

Tinildur : Oblivion is definitely a favorite; when I started playing and 
looked at other players' logs, the "Ok." message from Oblivion always 
seemed amazingly cool to me (and it is).

Foxarius : "Good" equipment comes and goes, something is great today 
and tomorrow a new item comes in that is bigger and better so I try not to 
get too attached. I really like the progs on Origin and Relic of the Infinite, 
though. I will probably keep mine even if new and better items come along.

Korith : Favourite piece of equip would have to be an ice girth. Many mobs
just aren't practical to kill without having the saves of an ice girth.

4) If there's any one you would choose to be a Hero, who would it be and why?

Tinildur : As a deadly, I've admired all the super talented pkillers that 
have graced this mud over the years, people like Trembyl and Nashlin are at 
the top of the list. A certain grid bug fathomer and a hobo also come to 
mind...

Foxarius : There are a few people out there that I believe deserve the 
title,  I was very happy to see Korith get it this year. If I had to name 
just one I would have to say Valky- he is a top player in every aspect of 
the game. Though not always through organised councils, he qualifies for 
most of the categories mentioned as criteria for a Hero. Most notably he 
has been a great organisation contributer and leader, a skilled runner/mob 
killer/quester and without a doubt one of the most skilled explorers I 
have ever met in the game

Korith : If I could choose someone to be a Hero, it would have to be 
Valky. He's an experienced runner, a great source of info, done his time 
in leadership over the years. Quiet and unassuming, he manages to accomplish
a lot and has contributed a great deal to realms.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 04 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

4
*****************************************************************************************
5

 __________________________________
/ Heroes Interviews - Israfel             \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

5) Any words of wisdom and advice for all the aspiring Heroes out there?

Tinildur : Play the game. Explore if you've got nothing to do, or run 
something if you have enough people to do so.

Foxarius : I think one of the most important lessons I've learned in my time 
here is knowing how to change with the game- adapt to new things as they come 
along, and on the other hand when not to change, when to keep your own ways and
traditions.

Korith : Words of wisdom and advice for aspiring heroes I don't have, just 
do what you would normally do, and perhaps you will be recognized for it
some day.


A big thank you to Tinildur, Foxarius and Korith for sharing some 
interesting anecdotes and advice with our readers. We hope as the
game continues to grow, you will flourish with it and guide many
more players in the coming future.

Article written by Israfel Qirsi Elined

(End)                                                                 Page: 05 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

5
****************************************************************************************
6

 __________________________________
/ Roleplaying with Fire, Vol. 1 -Alessio  \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                              Roleplaying With
                    @@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@@@@@  @@@@@@@@  @@@
                    @@!      @@! @@!  @@@ @@!       @@@
                    @!!!:!   !!@ @!@!!@!  @!!!:!    !@!
                    !!:      !!: !!: :!!  !!: 
                     :       :    :   : : : :: :::  :.: 
                |=========================================|

				 Volume One: Building a Roleplay Character
 
  There are numerous challenges for an aspiring roleplayer within the Realms
of Despair roleplaying community. Not the least of these is designing a
character which is enjoyable for the player and those with whom they
play.
  In my first installment of Roleplaying With Fire, I will endeavour to
present the wisdom which I have gathered from other roleplayers and my
own experiences in a concise and legible manner.
  Please note that, while this is intended as a resource for newcomers to
Realms roleplay, it can also be used by older hands. And, lastly, though
I wish I could guarantee that the strategy outlined in the following
article will work for everybody, I cannot. I can only hope to give my
readers a nudge in the right direction.
 
                              Step I: Research
  All great characters begin with research. On RoD, this involves looking
into the environment in which you intend to play. Try to ascertain
certain key details about the setting: time period, geography, and
politics. Who are the big movers and shakers? You should know all
of this information before you begin creating your character, as it
could directly impact the character.
  Nothing is worse than a player whose character does not fit into
the game setting it has been placed in.
(Cont)                                                                Page: 06 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

6
************************************************************************************
7

 __________________________________
/ Roleplaying with Fire, Vol. 1 -Alessio  \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                          Step II: Conception
  From the earliest stages, three very important aspects of your new
character should have already been decided. These are race, sex, and
profession.
  While there are many characters who play against the assumptions
placed on their race, occupation or gender in the Realms community,
these three factors still remain as an initial reference point for
other characters that meet yours for the first time. Therefore, they
will directly affect how your character is perceived by others in
the roleplaying world.
  Other initial considerations for any new character should be age
and primary function (is the character a villain, a hero, an
everyman, etcetera).
 
                        Step III: Adding Detail
  This is where the difficulties in character design begin in earnest.
However, now that you have a basic idea of who you are playing, which
includes race, gender, occupation, age and role in the storyline, you
can begin to fill in some blanks.
  In general, the easiest way to go about this is by first determining
your character's personality and background. I usually go about this by
following these steps:
 
1a. Decide upon one emotion which best captures the spirit of the
    the character (happiness, anger, hopelessness, etcetera).
 b. Consider and list potential causes for your character to be
    driven by that particular emotion.
2.  Review the list of causes written in step 1b. Chances are,
    one or two are standing out among the others. Use these as
    major plot points in your character's backstory.
(Cont)                                                                Page: 07 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

7
**************************************************************************************
8

 __________________________________
/ Roleplaying with Fire, Vol. 1 -Alessio  \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

3.  Continue to fill in the character's past, using the initial
    event(s) as centerpoints.

  Once you have completed the history of your character, you should
also have a general understanding of his/her personality. Now you
can begin to write a description. Consider the following factors:
  a. What colors best match my character's personality? (In
     general, darks are reserved for those who are melancholic
     or 'evil', for instance).
  b. How fortunate is my character in life? (This will
     directly affect how much jewelry hehe is wearing
     and the quality of his/her clothing.
  c. Does my character practice any trade? (A smith may
     frequently carry a hammer, for example).
 
  In general, when one considers the character's past, personality
and core aspects (race, gender, occupation), the description
pretty much writes itself. Just don't forget to use adjectives
effectively to provide that extra touch of flare!

                        Step IV: Maintenance
  When you have outlined your character's description, history and
personality, you are ready to dive into the exciting world of
roleplay!
  However, don't forget to review and update these aspects as your
character begins to develop. You may find that he or she changes with
time. A well-maintained and well-played character will reflect this
development in a consistent manner.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 08 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

8
************************************************************************************
9

 __________________________________
/ Roleplaying with Fire, Vol. 1 -Alessio  \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                            Conclusion
  To sum up, a player would be well served if they follow these four
(relatively) easy steps:
1. Research your intended roleplaying environment.
2. Consider your character's defining aspects: race, gender,
   profession, age and function in the storyline.
3. Begin to detail your character with a personality, history
   and physical description.
4. Maintain your character by developing it through roleplay
   and keeping a record of those developments (through point
   form notes or logs of the actual roleplay).
 
  I hope that this outlined process will be of help to all members of the
Realms of Despair roleplaying community, but most specifically to the newer
ones, in creating their very own characters for play.
  Thanks for reading, and stay tuned next month!
 
                                                          --September 2008
 
[=========================================================================]
 
   Alessio di Rossetti is the current leader of the Order of Sanctus Irae
 and has led the half-orc nation on several characters for the past half-
 decade. If you have any questions, comments or compliments regarding
 this or any roleplay issue, feel free to MUDmail him or send him a tell.
 Perhaps it will be featured in a future edition of 'Roleplaying With
 Fire'!

(End)                                                                 Page: 09 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

9
****************************************************************************************
10

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                     Introduction
 
   "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
    Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
 
It's fascinating to watch how lessons are taught on RoD. 
People learn what to do and what not to do by picking up 
specifics. They go on a Froghemoth run. They run Father 
Time. Run leaders show them how to get to that mob, and 
what the precise killing strategy is. To stretch the
metaphor, they fish in front of the man and give the fish
to him. Over and over until, maybe, hopefully, one day, he
figures out how to make his own rod and fish for himself.
 
So I thought, why not cut to the chase and share the real 
general strategies of playing Realms of Despair? I won't
teach you how to run seth or map the chaos maze (or 
anything else specific), but in this column and future 
articles, I'm going to write How-Tos about some of the 
most popular RoD activities. 

-Someone- had to figure out how to run a new mob before 
info could be passed around, right? Why not -be- that 
someone?
(Cont)                                                                Page: 10 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

10
************************************************************************************
11

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

        My Philosophy in Writing This Column

Absolutely no spoonfeeding. I might teach you running and 
mapping theory, but when push comes to shove, you will have
to apply them in practice yourself and make your own 
conclusions. I want to inspire a sense of exploration and
daring, rather than contribute to the apathetic expectation
that someone else must tell you the answer.
 
        Not-so-Standard Disclaimer
Most of what I plan to write is common sense that most
regular players have picked up already (but hopefully is 
still useful to beginners). Lord knows I coulda used such a 
summary sheet while a newbie. The rest is either gleaned 
from the public smaug 1.4 code (which you can go scrutinize
too, btw) or based on personal experience. 

In other words, I could be wrong! Always take what other
people say with a big grain of salt, and decide for 
yourself what to believe.

        RoD 101 - Mob Killing
 
Scenario 1: You're a newbietar. Your eq consists of 9 
parts levelling eq and 1 part av eq from your guild's 
donation. You want to run some mobs to equip yourself, but
you haven't the faintest idea which will smite you and 
which are reasonable to attempt.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 11 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

11
****************************************************************************************
12

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Scenario 2: You're a player with quite a few classes of 
avatars. Especially the standard running classes like 
thief, vampire, mage, warrior, cleric, etc. You want to run
a mob that's considered a step up in difficulty from what 
you normally run. Just how do you go about having a 
successful run?

        Gathering Run Information

First things first, you need specific run information about
the mob. How to get to the mob and how to kill the mob. 
What the mob doesn't like, and what the effective skills/
spells are. How to find this stuff out?
 
1) Ask a Trustworthy Friend
This is the easiest option. People in RoD are naturally a
little reticient about their hard earned secrets. You can't
spam the hell out of strangers and expect to be spoonfed 
with freebies. A friend will probably share his run secrets
if he knows you're not going to broadcast them to all and 
sundry. You want a friend who knows what he's doing, or 
you'll be operating on bad run info, which is worse than 
going in with no knowledge whatsoever. How to make friends? 
Being nice, honest, ethical and honorable and joining an
organization might help. Hopefully you've made some before
you go asking them for run info, or you'll come off 
sounding like a moocher.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 12 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

12
****************************************************************************************
13

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

2) Surf the Net, Look for Websites
Maybe you're the independent type. Maybe you think you're 
going to stretch friendship more than a little by hounding 
your associates for too much info. Since you are mudding, 
you do have an internet connection. Run a google search and
see what pops up. Area directions are plentiful. Various 
guilds and individuals have webpages that supply some 
information on running simple mobs.
 
3) Firsthand Experience
This is, by nature, a little more advanced than the above 
two options. This is the -real- method of how the
professionals figure out how to kill new mobs no one has 
ever seen before. They walk up to the mob, hit the mob, and 
watch how the battle goes. They figure out what works 
through trial and error, and what to avoid doing. After
creating a running strategy, they test it out. If the mob 
dies consistently, success! If not, revision time.


                Figuring Out What Works 
(And What Results in a Bloody Splotch That Used to be Your Running Char)

Ask ten different RPers what they consider roleplay to be, 
and you'll get ten different answers. Ask ten different 
runners how they judge mobs, and you'll get ten different 
answers too. Everyone develops their own personal style of
analyzing mobs. There are, however, some basic principles 
that will make your life easier while you try things out 
for yourself. Here are but a few of them:

(Cont)                                                                Page: 13 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

13
****************************************************************************************
14

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

1) A Good, Readable Prompt and Fprompt
If you can read your own prompt fast and easily, you'll be
able to figure out how much damage you're receiving, and 
whether the mob is hurt, healed or not bothered at all by 
your attacks.

Readable is going to differ tremendously from person to 
person. About 9 in every 10 people loathe my prompt, but 
it works for me. :) And that's the criteria to live by. 
Hence, why I suggest anyone seriously playing this mud
should take time to read the helpfiles for pcolors and 
prompt, and design your own according to the information 
you feel you're going to need. Prompt preferences differ, 
but if you're going to be trying out mobs, you'll need at
the very very least Current HP, Max HP, and the Current 
Health of Opponent. I heartily recommend more, though.
 
Current HP is obvious, you need to know when you're about
to expire and when you're only being scratched. Some people 
go without Max HP...since the starting prompts don't 
include it. *Beep* Wrong idea. When being intensely pounded 
on, the chances of you remembering how many heals to quaff 
to reach your max hp are very slim. It'll slow you down, 
even if you manage it. It's also clearer to think in terms 
of proportions. Are you only half or two-thirds hurt at 
500hp?

Current Opponent Health in your fprompt is a godsend. You 
no longer have to glance/look at the mob to check. You can 
keep track of the rate of healing and damage the mob is 
taking as the rounds go by.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 14 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

14
****************************************************************************************
15

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

2) Always Be Praised or Higher in Favor
Shit happens. Your test goes awry. You die accidentally, 
none of your friends are around to help you kill the aggro 
mob looming over your dead body. Maybe they don't know how 
to. Everyone on public channels is being really cruel and 
won't help you CR. Maybe they don't know how to either. 

What you previously thought was a non-aggro mob can't stand
the sight of you walking back in the room, even past 
quitting and relogging. No immortals are online, or you 
don't want to pay for an imm CR. Well, that's what 
supplicate corpse is for. A minimum level of praised is 
needed.

As an addenum to this, if you're testing out high 
difficulty mobs, check beforehand to make sure the room 
isn't no-supp. Common gossip will suggest the likely 
no-supp areas/rooms. Personally making sure would be to try 
"You have been forsaken!". You don't want to be taken aback
when you see the no-supp message, "The image of your corpse
appears, but suddenly wavers away."
 
If there's a likelihood of it being a no-supp room, common 
sense suggests you shouldn't be wearing your best eq to
test it out. You might not be able to strip naked and last 
long enough against the mob to try, but use eq you can 
afford to lose.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 15 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

15
****************************************************************************************
16

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Juliana         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

3) Sanc is for Wussies!
But you'll be a living wussy. Always sanc. This is the 
common refrain of pkillers, and it applies when you're just
about to fight mobs also. Sanc cuts all damage in half, 
even the breaths and sneaky mpdamages. It keeps your 
equipment from breaking just that little bit longer. When 
testing a mob whose capabilities you don't know, you want 
all the advantages you can get.

4) Use a Disposable Weapon
A good number of mobs are programmed to disarm you and do 
fairly innovative (and nasty) things to your weapons. When 
going up against an unknown mob, it's sensible to use a 
weapon you can afford to lose, while you determine if the 
mob is immune to any particular weapon type, immune circle/
grasp/offensive spells or if it requires nonmagic/magic 
weapons to be killed.

5) Try Out Different Weapons
If one type of weapon -always- and -consistently- misses 
the mob, chances are good it's probably immune to that 
weapon type. As of smaug 1.4, mobs can be be immune to 
blunt, pierce and slash. Slash also includes slices, whips 
and claws. Pierce includes stabs, bites, arrows, bolts and
darts. Blunt includes pounds, crushes, stones and peas.

(Cont)                                                                Page: 16 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

16
****************************************************************************************
17

 __________________________________
/ Realms of Despair 101 - Footnote by Falennt \______________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Footnote from Falennt :

Another good article written by Juliana in another of our previous Cry issues.
Although it dates back, I believe the gems of wisdom she had written
in this article of hers still proves to be useful until this day. 
So for all aspiring runners and new players out there, take heed and
hints!

PS: If you had previously written for the Cry and would love to
see your articles republished again, mudmail Falennt and let
me know what was the title of the article you had written or if 
you can't remember, a gist of the article's content would help
as well. If you still own a full copy of your article, feel free
to email it to me at falennt_sarien@hotmail.com

(End)                                                                 Page: 17 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

17
****************************************************************************************
18

 __________________________________
/ Ask Coe                                 \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

1. Has the mortal buildport been productive? Will we be seeing mortal areas
   in the Realms soon?"

Answer: Yes. We have had 4 areas pass from the mortal build port
to final checks. As these are fairly large and complicated areas, their checks
do take some time, but we hope to see them installed once ready.


2. I heard they are going to allow lizardmen to breed with ogres orcs and
   trolls since they couldn't get it on with each other anymore is this true?

Ceirana has been known to lizardslay any potential suitors,
thus further diminishing the already compromised populace.

(End)                                                                 Page: 18 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

18
******************************************************************************************
19

 __________________________________
/ Guild of Clerics - Indira               \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                               Hello everyone!
 
 
We hope that you all enjoy your summertime, because we surely do! We'd enjoy
it even more if YOU join our little family of lovely clerics. Information on
joining is listed on the following pages of this article. Take your time to
browse through it and feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

 
Only one lonely person has participated in my little fun quiz but sure enough,
he got it all right! So the winner is...drumroll please. KLAATU!!!
Congratulations Klaatu and thank you for taking the time to figure it out!
The first prize winner was awarded with 10 million gold coins!
See, it pays out to play my little quiz, so do play and win some extra goodies
next time around! :)

(Cont)                                                                Page: 19 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

19
******************************************************************************************
20

 __________________________________
/ Guild of Clerics - Indira               \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Get married with us!

Are you getting married and still looking for that perfect location?
Well look no more for we can provide just that! We'd be happy to host your
special day in our blissful chapel! Need to know how it looks? Here it is:

                              A Blissful Chapel
Mmm! The lavish scents of dehydrated roses and lavender permeate this
chapel with a blissful fragrance. Golden pews are lined perfectly to
the left and right, reflecting the sun and all the colours it produces
through a stained glass ceiling. Framed prayer scrolls are neatly placed
on the brassy walls, and between each is a glass case containing various
trinkets of love, beauty, and devotion. A casual array of freshly-cut
flowers sits comfortably upon a large altar of stone, engraved with words
of wisdom and joy.

Our own Haviland would be happy to officiate but you can of course 
choose a person to your own liking to preside over your ceremony!
Feel free to send a tell to any of the leaders if you have any further
questions, we'd be happy to answer them! <3

(Cont)                                                                Page: 20 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

20
****************************************************************************************
21

 __________________________________
/ Guild of clerics - Indira               \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

 Join us!
 
If you would like to join the Guild of Clerics, just jot down the following:
 
Requirements: Level 15+
Directions:   NW, 2W, 2N, E from [] 
Webpage:      perdaea.com/dirtycarrot.html
Once you read the guide (retrieved in "The Clock Chamber" by saying "guide",
you can contact anyone with "CoC or CoC-T" in their title or a leader to 
request an interview! 
 
We hope you have a joyous September, please feel free to come by or send us a
tell if you have any questions, concerns or just would like to chat!
 
Regards, Haviland (Guild Master), Indira (First) Torianne (Second)

(End)                                                                 Page: 21 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

21
****************************************************************************************
22

 __________________________________
/ Quendi News - Annale                    \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Island in Bloom
 
With the greatly diminished population of butterfly, the star-shaped niphredil
flowers have bloomed in far greater quantities.  Cywiel, shopkeeper of the
Curwa Eldalieva, proudly sells bouquets containing these majestic flowers. 
She claims, "Perhaps the disappearance of the butterflies isn't all bad.  The
niphredil haven't been this vibrant in at least 3 decades!"  The Curwa
Eldalieva is located south, east, east, north of the Archive Hall.
 
Update: Strange Sightings at Talan Yeste'
 
While no new information regarding the strange ghost-child seen at the Talan
Yeste', rumours have begun to spread.  It is whispered that she may be linked
to Pandishar, the guard who was formerly posted at the Talan Yeste.  Others
claim that she may be linked to the strange shadows throughout the Island. 
Anyone with information, proving, or disproving, these, or any other rumours,
please contact Elear Israfel or Tari Annale.

(End)                                                                 Page: 22 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

22
******************************************************************************************
23

 __________________________________
/ Opallinoc News Bureau - Klaatu          \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

From the Opallinoc News Bureau:
 
Dateline Opallinoc: Summer Doldrums
Little is taking place among the Uruk'hai. The hot summer sun and lack of
rain has made a minor dust bowl of the plains. Even the winds seem to avoid
the area, leaving many a restless night's sleep. Water supplies are within
tolerable levels. Talks of rationing fill the idle chatter. Even plans for
carting water from Crystalmir Lake have been discussed. Yet the heat goes on.
The heat goes on...
 
Dateline Darkhaven: New fashions
Reports from eavesdropping in the inns around Darkhaven have told tales of
finding new items to wear throughout the Realms. This is big news to those
fashion mavens the just have to have the very latest in finery. Rewards of
great acclaim await those that come across these fancy new items
 
Dateline Northern Plains: Eltor Beast Hunt
The Inahir tribe is having an Eltor beast hunt. One of the noble beasts has
the elusive eltor skin pop upon its death. Give this skin to the hunt leader
and see what you get. This is a unique experience to learn more of the tribal
ways and customs of the Inahir.

(End)                                                                 Page: 23 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

23
******************************************************************************************
24

 __________________________________
/ Call of the Elohai - Stela              \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Greetings!
 
     The shining City of Eldestra is seeking any and all current or former
half-elf role players to make their way to Eldestra and read all about the
new changes in government, and the introduction of Houses and Sects.  Many
positions need to be filled!
 
     There is great room for expansion and character evolution within the
upcoming stories and plots of the nation, so be one of the first to help
breathe new life into RP in the nation and on the MUD!
 
Send tells to Stela for more info!
 
Stela Solstice
Archmage, Emera Mystika
Speaker

(End)                                                                 Page: 24 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

24
******************************************************************************************
25

 __________________________________
/ A Call to Return - Stela               \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

Dearest Elohai of the Realms,
 
     I write this note in the hopes of finding all of those Half-Elves who have
wandered from the shining City of their home.  The call of your ancestors and
previous leaders comes to you now like a Great Wind upon the Seas.  Vast
change is among us, and the voices of those Elohai who sacrificed their lives
for our great nation call you all to return.
     As Speaker I have made great efforts with the former councillors of the
Elohai Council to bring change and new life to Eldestra.  The disappearance of
Amalia Vydien some years ago left our Shining City bereft and mostly empty,
full of lost hopes and dreams.  Answers about Amalia's disappearance and the
new changes are among us, if only we hearken to where the Heart of Elohellen
resides: The City of Eldestra within the Ashen Forest.
     We must once again bring our nation to the glories only our mixed heritage
can provide, and it cannot be done without the efforts of all Half-Elves!  So,
I humbly beseech all those who have lost their way or may have never found it
to bring yourselves to Eldestra.  I promise to personally meet with each and
every Elohai interested in once again joining their Nation as a productive and
active member.
 
Stela Solstice
Archmage, Emera Mystika
Speaker

(End)                                                                 Page: 25 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

25
****************************************************************************************
26

 __________________________________
/ TS News - Akael                         \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

TS News for August 2008
Passed by TS
- Benches with Benefits - Code furniture to set a regen 'bonus'
- Drink Command to Skip Blood pools if Non-Vamp
- New Command: Lastname - will create a last name for your characters
- Label Layer EQ Tiers - Simply display which layer tier each piece belongs to,
- New Skill: Guard - Paladin takes half the damage for the person they guard.
Passed by CoE
- New Spell - Aggravate Wounds
- Focused Shot
- Make Pets Go Through Portals
- Broadcasting Induct/Outcast to Members
- Glance
Failed by CoE
- A class newbie guide 
- Leader Channel

 Please note TS News will now update once a month.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         For older TS news, visit http://ts.silverwolf-den.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See also: Help TS, Help TSinfo

(End)                                                                 Page: 26 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

26
*****************************************************************************************
27

 __________________________________
/ August Quest Answers     \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

S H A R A K I E M L + I + T + 
U O + D + + + B E + G + + I F
M + N + A + + G A J + + + ^OA^x I
O + + N + N B + A H + + T M C
K + + + U A B R + + A H + A I
T + + + + N J A + + E M + T N
J X + + + U R + L R + + U + G
A + Y + K + + E T A + + + T D
R + + N + + + I C + W + + + E
B + + + O + M + + + + E + + A
S H I M M ^OE^x R G L O O M D + T
E U Q S A R R A T S + + + O H
H T E S + + + + + U + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + E + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + Z + + + + +

BAHAMUT(8,2,SE)      BRAJTKOMU(1,10,N)     CERNUNNOS(9,9,NW)    
DANBALAWEDO(4,2,SE)  FATHERTIME(15,2,SW)   HARAKIEM(2,1,E)
ICINGDEATH(15,3,S)   KUJRAJGI(5,8,NE)      LEGBA(10,1,SW)       
ONYX(5,10,NW)        SETH(4,13,W)          SHIMMERGLOOM(1,11,E)
TARRASQUE(9,12,W)    TIAMAT(14,1,S)        ZEUS(10,15,N)
Shared letters are highlighted.

And yes, there seemed to be several other mobs that were not meant to be
included.  These were
Ra, Death, Set, Ben, eel, rat, and nun.

We received many entries for this quest.  Winners are correct entries in
order of receival.
Gadihatarn, Thom, Silet

 Runners up - Korith, Gaxhil, Meldrew
 Other submissions were from - Graet, Toman, Redbeard, Lilcal, Jaxxon, Ciska
(End)                                                                 Page: 27 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

27
******************************************************************************************
28

 __________________________________
/ September Quest - Linda                 \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

The September quest is to list as many Ranger moblies that you can. The mob may either
ID as a ranger or have the description or title that states they are a ranger to
classify it as a ranger.

You will receive a point for each correctly listed mob. Mobs which blatantly
aren't rangers will reduce your total score by two points. The winner will be
the person with the highest number of points. Mudmail Falennt and Linda with your
list for a chance of winning some glory by the 27th of September.

P.S. No guild mobs please, those that submit one will be disqualified.
(End)                                                                 Page: 28 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

28
******************************************************************************************
29

 __________________________________
/ Funnies - by Romani                     \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

                           Funny Title
Nations Leader  Anshuna Fyremusik holds a sign stating 'will work 4 RP' (Sanctus Irae)
Storyteller     Talisha Dracos "If your evil and you know it! Snap a neck!

                           Imms U
-----------------------------------[ IMMORTALS ]------------------------------
Prince          Stouneheft Gemstone. [Newbie Council]
Creator         Boulgrouth Edelstone. [Quest Council]
Muse            Roumani de Carpathia-Umbramnia. (Sanctus Irae) [Herald Assembly]

                           The trouble with sheep
Hero            Petrograaaaad, Russia. [Arbiter of Inductions] (Ascendere)
Avatar          Meldrewe is in afkish mode. (Ascendere)

(End)                                                                 Page: 29 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

29
******************************************************************************************
30

 __________________________________
/ Room of the Month (Submitted by Myrr)   \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

The Room of Agony
Entering this room, you hear the ghostly cries of previous souls and
the stench of death.  Looking about, you see all manner of torture
devices, from the thumbscrew and iron maiden, to several items you
do not recognize (nor wish to try.)  A whip hangs on the west wall,
while a leather mask and hatchet lay near the door on a chair.  Small
pieces of flesh appear to be stuck to a table and a large vat of
what can only be acid is in the southeast corner.  The demon in
charge of this operation is rather large, but gangly.  He has a bad
limp and one of his arms is missing.  However, he still seems highly
dangerous as he leaps at you trying to sink his fangs into you.
Exits: none

(End)                                                                 Page: 30 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

30
******************************************************************************************
31

 _________________
/ WANTED - Badrol \___________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   _________________________________________
0=(_________________________________________)=0
   |                     ___  __  _        /
   |    |   |  /\  |\  |  |  |   | \      |
   |    | x | :__: | \ |  |  |-  |  ;     |
   |    |/ \| |  | |  \|  |  |__ |_/      |
   |                                      |
   |    /""""""""""""""""""""""""""\      |
   |    |        ,      ,          |      |
   |    |       /(.-""-.)\         |      |
   |    |   | \ / =.  .= \ / |     |      |
   |    |   \( \   o\/o   / )/     |      |
   |    |    \_, '-/  \-' ,_/      |      |
   |    |      /   \__/   \        |      |
   |    |      \ \__/\__/ /        |      |
   |    |     _.\ \|--|/ /         |      |
   |    |  /`    \      /    `\    |      |
   |    .----------DEAD------------.      |
   |                                      |  
   |The Umbrageous Ruins is a place where |
   |the poor, and meek are unwelcome.     |
   |Their poverty and disease are a plague|
   |on all of the deadly world.  Recently,|
   |Badrol has been seen eating from      |
   |dumpsters, playing showtunes in the   |
   |subway for tips, and urinating without|
   |unzipping his pants.  The very        |
   |existence of this hobo is a slap in   |
   |the face of Gravoc, and as such Mack  |
   |would like to offer 5m per proof of   |
   |death, until the infidel drifter is   |
   |driven from our lands, or killed five |
   |times. Which ever is cheaper.         |
   |______________________________________|
0=(________________________________________)=0  

(End)                                                                 Page: 31 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

31
******************************************************************************************
32

 ________________________
/ Calling for Writers \____________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

  _____ _______     __         __   _____                        _      
 / ____|  __ \ \   / /        / _| |  __ \                      (_)     
| |    | |__) \ \_/ /    ___ | |_  | |  | | ___  ___ _ __   __ _ _ _ __ 
| |    |  _  / \   /    / _ \|  _| | |  | |/ _ \/ __| '_ \ / _` | | '__|
| |____| | \ \  | |    | (_) | |   | |__| |  __/\__ \ |_) | (_| | | |   
 \_____|_|  \_\ |_|     \___/|_|   |_____/ \___||___/ .__/ \__,_|_|_|   
                                                    | |                 
                                                    |_|  
_       _             _    _                __           
(_)     | |           | |  (_)              / _|          
 _ ___  | | ___   ___ | | ___ _ __   __ _  | |_ ___  _ __ 
| / __| | |/ _ \ / _ \| |/ / | '_ \ / _` | |  _/ _ \| '__|
| \__ \ | | (_) | (_) |   <| | | | | (_| | | || (_) | |   
|_|___/ |_|\___/ \___/|_|\_\_|_| |_|\__, | |_| \___/|_|   
                                     __/ |                
                                    |___/                 
                                     _ _                
                                    (_) |               
 _ __   _____      __ __      ___ __ _| |_ ___ _ __ ___ 
| '_ \ / _ \ \ /\ / / \ \ /\ / / '__| | __/ _ \ '__/ __|
| | | |  __/\ V  V /   \ V  V /| |  | | ||  __/ |  \__ \
|_| |_|\___| \_/\_/     \_/\_/ |_|  |_|\__\___|_|  |___/

For more information, seek out the Cry of Despair board in the Darkhaven
Townhall, Fourth Floor, West exit from the stairs. (look map if you get lost)

(End)                                                             Page: 32 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

32
***************************************************************************************
33

 _____________________
/ Ask COE Announcement\_______________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

THE CRY OF DESPAIR IS PROUD TO HOST
 
           ###     ######  ##    ##     ######   #######  ########
          ## ##   ##    ## ##   ##     ##    ## ##     ## ##
         ##   ##  ##       ##  ##      ##       ##     ## ##
        ##     ##  ######  #####       ##       ##     ## ######
        #########       ## ##  ##      ##       ##     ## ##
        ##     ## ##    ## ##   ##     ##    ## ##     ## ##
        ##     ##  ######  ##    ##     ######   #######  ########
 
  If you had a chance to ask the Council of Elders something about
  gameplay, what would you ask?
 
  Do you want to know when we are going to have pasta somewhere?
 
  Do you want to know why thief mobs only keep a percentage of what
  they steal?
 
  Or do you want to know something else?! If so, mudmail Falennt or Linda with
  your questions today!


(End)                                                                 Page: 33 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

33
****************************************************************************************
34

 _______________
/ WANTED - Dead \_____________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

   _________________________________________
0=(_________________________________________)=0
   |                     ___  __  _        /
   |    |   |  /\  |\  |  |  |   | \      |     
   |    | x | :__: | \ |  |  |-  |  ;     |     The CoD Staff
   |    |/ \| |  | |  \|  |  |__ |_/      |     invites any deadly
   |                                      |     to post a bounty on
   |    /""""""""""""""""""""""""""\      |     another deadly. 
   |    |     :   ,''"((") |       |      |     
   |    |     |  /         |       |      |     You set the bounty 
   |    |     ,-: .*"    "*;       |      |     and the number of  
   |    |     ;    (o)  (o)|       |      |     bounties you are 
   |    |     `-.      ,   |       |      |     prepared to pay and 
   |    |       :     ___  '       |      |     Linda and Falennt     
   |    |       |`.    -  /        |      |     can collect the   
   |    |     _.:  `-.__.'         |      |     skived skin of your  
   |    | ,-"'"  `-.__.-''*-._     |      |     target from bounty  
   |    .-------Dead---------------.      |     hunters. You may also 
   |    _   __              _   _         |     share your reasons 
   |   | \ |   |   |   /\  | \ | \        |     for wanting the target 
   |   |_/ |-  | x |  :__: |_/ |  ;       |     dead.
   |   | \ |__ |/ \|  |  | | \ |_/        |     The cost of this
   |______________________________________|     service is 1 million 
0=(________________________________________)=0  gold coins. The Cry of 
                                                Despair may also award
                                                successful bounty hunters
                                                with additional gold!
(Thank you Romani for the Ascii art)
 
(End)                                                                 Page: 34 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

34
*****************************************************************************************
35

 ___________________________
/ A Note from Linda - Linda \_________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\
I want to thank everyone for making the August CoD Quest such a huge success.
Lately we have had only a few entries each month; however for August we had 12.
I hope you enjoy September's quest also.  I am looking forward to learning all
about the mobs that are from my personally favorite class.

We are also inbetween editors.  This has given me a new perspective on what
Fiebin did for us each month.  I hope this issue lives up to his high standards.
Thanks for taking the time to read the issue.

Linda Silverwolf

(End)                                                                 Page: 35 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/

35
******************************************************************************************
36

 __________________________________
/ From Falennt's Inkwell - Falennt \__________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________\

I really hope our readers enjoy the special article on our 2008 Heroes this
month. We do have a small give-away for players in the form of a little quiz. 
Just write down the answers you think are correct and mudmail them to myself. 
The first 3 mudmails with correct answers will be given a special gift.
 
Remember, don't wait till the last moment before you mail!
 
Heroes Quiz 
1) How many years have Foxarius played Realms?
2) What item did Tinildur lose to Mumra?
3) What is Korith's favourte piece of equip?
4) How many pkillers do Tinildur admire, in which he named?
5) What is the most important lesson Foxarius had learned in Realms?
6) What is Korith's 'advice' to aspiring Heroes?
 
And as always, I hope you liked reading this month's Cry.
 
Cheers
Falennt
(End)                                                                 Page: 36 
_______________________________________________________________________________
|_____________________________________________________________________________/